She is right at home putting the 12,000-pound, 17-foot-long monster truck — with an engine that generates 1,500 horsepower — through its paces. Her fierceness is only matched by her name — Kayla Blood and, yes, that’s her real name.

Blood soon will be showcasing her driving prowess at the Wright State University Nutter Center behind the wheel of El Toro Loco as Monster Jam races into town for three shows Dec. 7-8.

“Austin loves it, Monster Jam is like second nature to him,” she said. “And it’s kind of fun to be the cool mom.”

Family fun is what the adrenaline-charged, high-flying, Monster Jam events are all about. From the precise maneuverability of the races to the crowd-pleasing freestyle competition, fans enjoy the complete Monster Jam experience.

“To be a woman in this sport, you’ve got to be tough, have a thick skin,” said Kayla Blood, who’ll be behind the wheel of El Toro Loco at the Nutter Center for three shows Dec. 7-8. CONTRIBUTED

“To be a woman in this sport, you’ve got to be tough, have a thick skin,” said Kayla Blood, who’ll be ... read more

“The best part of being in an arena is that you are really close to the fans,” Blood said. “The kids love when El Toro Loco blows smoke, it’s fun to interact with them and see them with their horns up.”

Blood, 28, got her start racing ATVs. She made an impression on the Monster Jam staff and was soon offered the chance to test drive a Monster Jam truck. The rest is history as she has toured for the past two years. Monster Jam has become a family affair as her husband, Blake Granger, will soon be driving Maximum Destruction full time.

“I would also like for our son to be involved in motorsports someday,” she said.

The Dayton Monster Jam shows will include fan favorite Grave Digger in the field of talented drivers. Fans can get in on the act as, following the racing, they have the chance to vote for the truck winner in the freestyle competition by real-time, in-arena voting on their smartphones.

Tickets: Start at $15, available at www.monsterjam.com or the Nutter Center box office.

More: Dayton is one of a select number of cities offering the limited-edition Monster Jam beanie from Love Your Melon, an apparel brand dedicated to giving a hat to every child battling cancer and supporting the fight against pediatric cancer. Monster Jam Love Your Melon beanies are only available with an advance Monster Jam ticket purchase. For more information or to purchase tickets and the limited-edition beanie, visit the Dayton ticket link at http://www.monsterjam.com/loveyourmelon.

SCHEDULED TRUCKS AND DRIVERS

Grave Digger – Tyler Menninga

El Toro Loco – Kayla Blood

Master of Disaster – Lindsey Rettew

Bounty Hunter – Jimmy Creten

FTI Torque – Jack Brown

Razin’ Kane – Kristen Hope

Scarlet Bandit – Dawn Creten

Stinger Unleashed – Zane Rettew

Popular in News

1

2

3

Reader Comments

Next Up in Community News

Don’t mess around with an angry mom, especially if you are trying to steal her vehicle. >> Read more trending news A New York City mother taking her son to school, seeing a man attempting to steal her SUV, dragged him out of the vehicle and pinned him to the ground until police arrived, WABC reported. "He's lucky I...

Facebook can be a great place to sell household appliances -- but it's not a great venue to sell stolen ones. >> Read more trending news Police said a New Mexico man, in a “dumb move,” broke into a house, stole some appliances and then tried to sell them to undercover Rio Rancho police officers on Facebook, KRQE reported...

Bath Twp. trustees are expected to approve new contracts tonight for fire and EMS service, ending a long-standing relationship with the city of Fairborn. Contracts agreements were reached this week with Bethel, Miami and Beavercreek townships, and Bath Twp. trustees will consider approving the agreements at their meeting tonight. RELATED: A fire contract...

A roast in the glove compartment. A T-bone steak under the driver’s seat. And a Texas man in a lot of trouble. >> Read more trending news A 52-year-old man was arrested Sunday after police found $1,188 worth of beef, pork and shrimp in a car in which he was a passenger, KHOU reported. Michael Cordova is accused in the felony...

University of Florida researchers are urging schools not to send student report cards home on Fridays, citing new research that child abuse cases spike when report cards are sent home at the start of the weekend. >> Read more trending news A group led by UF researchers Melissa Bright and Randell Alexander compared a year’s worth of...